Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-04-10
oOHILrKEE's "REMINISCENCES.
The Quiet Wy in Which He Laid
OuC a Wandering Minstrel.
From the Ee.o York World.

From the Neto York World.
The hon. Thomas Philharmonic
Ochlltree, perhaps better known in his
native jungle as the Lone Star Truth
Embroderer, still holds the champion
belt. A deep conspiracy was recently
laid to get IL away from him. The con-
testant was powerfully backed up by
friends who knew him at home and could
testify that not even a curious jury would
believe him except when ne was talking
IN ms sleep. he was mIld-looklng
gentleman, with wall eyes and no front
teeth, walked on crutches and had only
one arm and game leg, but he was all
there when 1t came to plain and fancy
storytelling. He was from Arkansas,
and had graduated with hOnors in the
Iwisters' Academy and his hackers were
sanguine. 1t was resolved not TO give
Ochiltree any warning or time for prepa-
ration. The Arkansas champion was
suddenly sprung on him one evening at
the Hoffman, when Thomas seemed out of
trim.
The conversation was artfully turned
on frontier playtulness. Thomas closed
one eye tnoughtiully. One man said he had
seen Billy the Kid shoot two men in
succession through the pockets of his
ulster at q measured distance OF 10 yards,
Thomas head dropped and he emitted a
feeble snore. Another told cory
anecdote of Broncho Sam, who kept three
cemeteries going in one-horse town.
Thomas was profoundly asleep. the
Arkansas champion cleared his throat,
fixed one eye on Thomas and the other on
The Bougerau and thus filing his soul
with a double vision OF beauty began. He
had just dined with a friend named
Ridgely-W alter Ridgely. Waiter was
deacon of the Methodist Church at Tex
arkana and Secretary of the Young Mems
Christian Association. Here Mr.. Ochil-
tree opened one eye.) He was one OF the
meekest and longestsutferlng men in
Arkansas. Here Tom opened the other
eye.) One day kidgely was crossing
river. A drummer was On the ferry. The
drummer got into an argument with the
ferrymen and agreed to leave the matter
to Ridgely. Ridgeiy accepted the position
of mediator and shot Dstn terrymen dead.
He thought that was the best way or set
Ting the question. The ferrymen each had
q brother. After the double fUaeral, at
which Ridgely off1ciated and offered up a
touching prayer, the brothers slipped cut
of the cemetery and hid in the brush at
turn IN the road. Ridgely approached on
his old roam mare singing cover the
Shining River" Botn fired. Ridgely
dropped. The brothers ran up. They
thought him dead. Just as they bent
over him he raised up, winKed at each
and shot both their heads on Then he
mounted the old roam mare and trotted in
to lead the singing.
AS the Arkansas champion finished
this simple little tale Tom nodded once
or twice and tnen began:
"W ell" he sad, sleeplly, that reminds
me Of Bill Schilling, of Laredo. Bill was
the Quietest man in the town and that
N ia nt
'69 or the spring OF '70-lemme sect was
in '69, because | had just got back from
my visit to the Car at st. Petersburg.
Aleck and l were chums, you know. In
'69 Bill Schllling was runnin' barber
shop in Laredo. was shaving my fellow
men at the Laredo bank, but Bill, be said
a razor was good enough for him. Well,
one day | was In at Scnllling's gettin' my
stubble moved, IN Bill was talkin' to me
about my salvation, IN then the chatter
turned on a stump-tailed bull pup Bill
had, N Bill was tellin' me how in flea
time that dog would sometimes spin like
buzz saw, trying to ketch one. Well, as
we was talkin', IN Bill Shawn easy, tor
nv SKINS tenderer IN a monkeys, Bill
ketches sight OF two men COMM by.
"Excuse me, Kurnel,' said he.
Certainly, William said l. Then he
slipped behind the door and ketched up a
'em like frogs. l glanced around, because
nv skin is so tender / was afraid to have
Bill get nervous, but he says, still smillin',
BEG pardon, Kurnel,' and | says, Not at
all, Wiiliam,''n he says, AS l was sayln',
kurnel, that bull pup, when he gets a
buck flea right on tue tip OF his taiP-and
then ne finished the story and gave me
the ceanest shave ever had in my life
except last winter when L went down
alI-s-t-r.e-e-t. A town marshal
came in and naobed him just as he
was dashin' me with bay rum from the
Rio (Irande."
The ColonePs eye had gradually closed
during this narrative. His head sank
quietly on his breast and he was sound
asleep. The Arkansas champion gazed u
minute or two in silence. Then he drew
from an INSIDE pocket a gold medal he had
won in the interstate contest last year,
laid it reverently beside the Colonel and
fled.